


Ink Blossom

by Hende987



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:34:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hende987/pseuds/Hende987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two shops, side by side in a small town with Ashlyn and Ali as owners. Picture perfect?</p><p>AU where Ali is opening a new shop, and Ashlyn runs the family business. They meet, they fall and the rest is....everyone else in the background!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. They Meet

**Author's Note:**

> Thank tumbler for this idea. I swear the bug just keeps biting. I intend this to be a fairly decent sized multi-chapter but I will warn you that I have started teaching and my life is bound to get hella busy, so updating won't be the most consistent thing. 
> 
> But I will not abandon ship!
> 
> .....get it? ;)
> 
> Anyone want to guess who owns which shop?

A flower shop and a tattoo shop. Side by side in a small town in Florida. A beautiful image right?

The thought is perfect enough to Ali as she puts the last empty box in the recycling bin behind her shop. 

Her shop.

She owns something. 

She never thought she would get to say that. Or at least not this soon. The journey hadn't been easy, not by any means, but getting to own her dream business......its's unbelievable. 

Ali locks the door behind her as she heads back inside. Cutting lights out behind her as she grabs her things, she takes one last look around with her finger on the main switch. She's double checking each detail, making sure everything is exactly in its place for the opening tomorrow. 

So many of her friends and family were coming and she wanted it to be perfect. Ali knew her night was going to be spent tossing and turning, worrying about everything that could go wrong, not the least of which would be actually getting paying customers to spend money. 

With one last glance around, and the click of the lights following her out the door, Ali locks up. Tucking her keys into the pocket of her jeans, she starts to head toward her car but is abruptly forced backwards as she feels her body collide with someone else. 

Hands shoot out and grab at her waist, as hers clutch strong arms, both helping to settle her body from its momentum towards the ground, and safely pulling her back to standing upright. 

Grateful that she didn't become intimate with the pavement, Ali goes to say thanks when she is distracted by the patterns underneath her fingertips, just visible in the glow of the streetlight and the last orange rays of the setting sun. 

She can't seem to break her gaze from the intricate tattoos that loop and connect into patterns she has yet to discern, even when she hears the voice of the person who caught her asking Ali a question. Ali's focus however is the image that is just beginning to become clear, as her eyes move to where the sleeve sneaks just under the fabric of the tshirt the person is wearing. 

She finally snaps out of it when she hears a throat clearing, immediately taking a step back when she realizes she hadn't yet disengaged from the ...woman. 

Ali had bumped into a woman. Her focus on the tattoos had been so encompassing that she hadn't even noticed that the person she had ran into was a woman. 

But now she did. 

Ali's eyes raked over the beautiful woman before her, taking in every detail; long, blonde hair, half-up in a bun with the rest in waves across her shoulder; sharp cheekbones and hazel eyes; an all-black ensemble of a plain t-shirt and canvas pants, excepting the maroon doc martins she wore. 

The blonde stood by, passively, as Ali took her in, waiting for something. The brunette suddenly realized she still had no clue what the woman had asked her. 

"Ummm. I'm sorry, what?" She mumbled, ducking her head and straightening up the imaginary wrinkles in her blouse. 

The taller woman smirked, unbeknownst to Ali who was still looking down. The blonde repeated her question. 

"I asked if you were ok?"

Ali thought the concern in her voice was genuine, even if there seemed to be a hint of amusement hidden behind it too. 

"Yeah. I'm good. Sorry I crashed into you. My mind's somewhere else's tonight apparently," Ali said slightly sarcastically and almost to herself as she waved vaguely in the direction of the shop she had just exited. 

The other woman nodded, putting her hands in her pockets and leaning back gently on her heels to look up at the addition to the neighborhood.

"I can see that," the blonde said, still admiring the outside of the building and what she could see through the windows, "I've been watching the progress. It's looking good." 

"Thanks." Ali huffed out. "It's taken a lot of work, but I think I've got it where I want it. The opening is tomorrow though, so even if I don't, there's no going back now!" Ali lightly laughed, eyeing the woman who had turned to look at her. 

"I think it's going to be great. You've got this."

The assurance of the blonde allowed Ali to let some of the tension from the week slip away, as her body relaxed just slightly. Ali wasn't sure why, but this woman seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear. Taking in the quiet confidence of the blonde, she mumbled a small thanks.

The blonde smiled. "No problem." 

The moment was punctuated by silence as the two looked at each other. Ali couldn't put into words what was happening, but she felt as if the world was shifting. There was so much happening in her life right now that she hadn't had any time to focus on herself. This woman, though, seemed intently focused on her, and Ali was uncomfortable as she realized just how much effort and attention she had been putting into the business.

The other woman cleared her throat, reluctantly it seemed, breaking the connection that had been happening between the two women. "I should get going. I left something behind as I was closing up, and I have to meet up with someone soon."

"Yea. Ok I under- wait, closing up?" Dazed from the moment they had shared and the introspection Ali had been doing, it took her a moment to realize what she had said. 

Pointing behind her towards the connecting building, the blonde smirked. "I own the shop next door. I figured you knew, seeing as how I am always in and out."

Ali turned a shade of red. "No. I haven't been paying attention to anything besides- I mean to say, I would have payed attention to you if I had seen you before- No. That's not what I mea-" Ali about died of embarrassment, first at never having seen the blonde, and then at almost admitting she would have remembered her if she had seen her.

Laughing, the blonde smirked again, and started walking backwards towards her building. "No worries. I was only teasing. I'm sure you've been overwhelmed with everything going on. I'm not offended by you not noticing me." The woman winked then and turned, keys in hand, to open the door. 

Ali was wondering exactly how she had never noticed the blonde before, as she stood there in a stunned silence at what had just happened. 

Ali was about to finally turn away after hearing the chiming of the shop's bell above the door and seeing the tattooed woman start to enter, until a voice rang out over the street. 

"Hey. My name's Ashlyn by the way. Let me know if you need anything. I'm always here." 

"I'm Ali," the brunette had time to get out, before Ashlyn had winked again and shut the door behind her, leaving Ali by herself on the sidewalk to figure out what in the hell had just happened.


	2. Next Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one wanted to guess who owned which shop :'(
> 
> I'm trying to be good about updating but don't get used to it. 
> 
> Also this email system being behind is really not conducive to keeping up with my addictions....I mean my completely healthy lifestyle choice of being an obsessive reader of all things USWNT...

Ali couldn't sleep.

She'd love to say it was totally and completely because of the opening in 6 hours, but she'd be lying to herself. 

She couldn't stop thinking about Ashlyn. 

And the opening. 

But mostly Ashlyn. 

She just couldn't understand how she hadn't noticed the blonde before. Usually she had a radar for beautiful women. Ever since college when she realized women were a much more _sensual_ option, she had been solely focused on the gender, leaving men behind altogether after her relationship with Brent ended. She appreciated men, and didn't mind them altogether, but women....women had been her awakening into a different side of herself. 

Her last relationship had been back in D.C. She hadn't even considered anyone since moving down to Florida to pursue her dream of owning her own place and be near her family. Kyle had moved down the year before, and her mom had been close to Miami for years. She had only left her dad behind, but their relationship hadn't been the same since she came out to him after she wanted to bring her first real girlfriend home for the holidays. He hadn't been thrilled that both of his children were "gay" (though she would opt for the term queer if she was giving herself a label, though she generally didn't like to do that at all). His reaction wasn't bad per sae, but the relationships with his children had been strained ever since.

So it killed her to know that she hadn't even been aware of her lack of desire. She knew she'd been busy, but she had always made it a point in her life to put herself out there. And knowing that she'd been oblivious to an absolutely gorgeous woman, even if she didn't think it would be a great idea to get into bed, figuratively and literally, with her next-door-neighbor...

Ali couldn't sleep.

She needed to sleep. 

She needed to stop thinking about Ashlyn. 

She didn't do much of either the rest of the night. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!!!!!"

Ali just groaned. She was only on her second cup of coffee, and after a sleepless night, she didn't think she could handle her brother's enthusiasm quite yet. 

"Whats the matter Queen? Too worried about what could go wrong with today to sleep last night? Well don't concern yourself with anything boo boo. I'm here to ply you with food, espresso, _and_ to do your hair and make-up so all you have to worry about this morning is showing up, having a mimosa, and watching the customers flood in!"

Ali watched as Kyle tornadoed through her house, while she refused to move, still clutching her half drunk coffee.

Kyle plopped a bag of food in front of her, and a to-go cup, then proceeded to head to her bedroom, calling back to ask if she'd picked out an outfit for today. She could hear as he disregarded the clothes she'd paired together and laid out on the chair in her bedroom, and had started going through her closet. 

She sighed before refocusing on the bag in front of her, sliding it over and glancing inside. A bagel from her favorite brunch place was inside, salmon and cream cheese, her favorite. She hadn't planned on eating this morning, figuring she'd be too concerned about vomiting it up if her nerves got too bad. But since her brother had gone out of his way, and pointed out that she'd probably be consuming alcohol, she started unwrapping the food, just as Kyle re-entered with clothes in hand. 

"Alright, so I saw what you had picked out and decided that you needed to be less 'I-own-a-business-casual' and more 'I-own-a-business-rockin'. Plus you were not going to show up in a skirt and blouse. This is your grand opening, and there will be pictures galore if I have anything to say about it, so here's my choice."

He hold's out black leather skinny pants and a white high-neck sleeveless shirt that had black lace overlay near the shoulders.

It was perfect. 

Of course it was perfect. It was Kyle. 

Ali grunted her approval as she took her first bite of bagel, and chased it with the rest of her coffee. She took off the top of the drink Kyle had brought her and was met with the smell of vanilla, simple yet her favorite. 

"Ali, are you alright? You haven't said a word to me since I came in, and though I know it's a big day, you seem a little more...off than I was expecting." Ali looked up to see Kyle gazing at her with concern all over his face.

"I'm good Kyle. Didn't sleep well last night. Nothing a little more coffee and my big bro can't help me get over." Ali smiled, desperately wanting Kyle to buy that she was fine. She wasn't sure if she could even explain why she didn't sleep, and would much rather he chalk it up to the opening rather than a certain blonde woman...

"Ok, B. Well get a move-on woman! We've got a lot to do to make you ready for your big day!" Her brother seemed to easily buy that lack of sleep was what was wrong, and his enthusiasm had him bounding down the hall with the outfit and his things to get set-up. 

"Thanks," Ali mumbled sarcastically to herself. 

Today was going to be a something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will make the next one from Ashlyn's POV probably. I will also try to make it a little longer....sorry, just trying to get my thoughts out while I have them!


	3. The Opening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some editing, mainly changing the title of the last chapter, considering I didn't include this part of the story when I posted that one! 
> 
> So Officially, here is the opening. It isn't from Ash's point of view quite yet. 
> 
> And thank you all for the comments! Some of you guessed right, and some not so much. But knowing people are reading and liking it, is a really awesome feeling!
> 
> Ready to find out who owns what?!

Ali was three mimosas in and she still couldn't get the image of Ashlyn from the night before out of her head. 

She had hoped the alcohol would help. 

It hadn't yet, though she was feeling quite tipsy at this point. Everyone had been coming around and congratulating her on the opening, and at this point it was a bit hazy as to who she had actually talked to. Kyle was running around taking pictures, her parents were catching up in the corner, and her employee's (most of whom she also called friends) were running things as smoothly as could be expected with their first day of customers. 

In all honesty, Ali was surprised by just how many people had shown up. Sure, she was offering discounts for the first week or so they were open, but she hadn't expected so many people to actually come in on the first day. She was proud that even before they had a huge loyal customer base, the word was spreading about how good they were. 

And with all of this swirling around her brain, Ali had blonde hair and intricate tattoo's on her mind. 

It probably didn't help that the majority of the people in the room had a tattoo of some sort already. 

Or they were about to get one for the first time.

It seemed like no matter where Ali looked, all she saw was ink. But it wasn't the design she wanted to see. 

It didn't give her pause and make her wonder just how much further the ink ran, nor did it make her want to see how many other tattoos were hidden underneath clothing just wanting to be found...

Ali needed another drink. 

She wasn't normally like this. She just needed to get her head on straight. She didn't obsess over girls who may or may not like other girls. She didn't lose sleep over blonde hair and tattoos.

Well, she did lose sleep over tattoos. But that was business. 

Ali swiped a champagne flute from the front desk, and walked back to the chairs where a few of her girls were tending to customers. She figured if she couldn't get Ashlyn out of her head by immersing herself in the celebration, she could at least try and immerse herself in the art. 

She came up on Tobin putting a complex cross on a middle aged woman's back. Ali always thought that Tobin's hands could make anything. She just had the talent for taking a person's thought and turning it into an idea. She also manages to have this chill nature that immediately calms even the most anxious person, a gift not all tattoo artist's have bust that is also needed. 

Especially by Ali right now. 

"Hey Tobs, how's it going?"

"Yo bosslady. Thought you were supposed to be living it up while us, your poor, indebted slaves did all the hard work around here?" Tobin grinned, though neither her eyes nor her hands left the lady's skin while she spoke. 

"Yea well. I have to come and check on you slaves. Who knows what your actually putting on this poor woman."

The woman's eyes looked like they were going to jump out of her head as she made eye contact with Ali, who was smiling in reassurance that it was a joke. 

"Aw, come on Ali, it was one time!" Tobin actually stopped working in order to give the brunette a pained look. 

"I know. And I forgive you but I don't think Kelly will."

Hearing her name, Kelly looked up from where she was working. "What'd I do?"

"You won't for give Tobin for putting squirrel on your shoulder." 

Tobin sighs. "One time. You mess up something one time and you never live it down."

"Yea but who mistakes pearl for squirrel? I now have a permanent squirrel on my back instead of the PEARL necklace I wanted. And do you know how hard that is to explain when a girl's trying to get laid? Oops, sorry sir- let me just..." 

Ali was alarmed until she realized Kelly was trying to put the stencil on the man's arm and messed up, rather than something worse.

"It is the most realistic squirrel you could have ever gotten, and it is perfect. Not my fault you were half-drunk and speaking gibberish, and insisting that you needed a tattoo _right then_."

"I'll show you a realistic squirrel. You just let me get my gun on you. You may not have any tattoos, but I can change that." Kelly menacingly pointed her tattoo gun towards Tobin, who held her arms up in a sign of surrender. 

"Alright you two. Enough teasing. We've got customers waiting, and your boss is watching." Ali tried to be serious, but a small smile escaped before she could help herself. Both girls, however, saluted and said "yes ma'am" in unison, erupting into laughter at their unintended synchronicity. 

Ali laughed too, moving away from them and towards Sydney, a dark skinned beauty with a few designs applied by Ali running up her arms. As she left Tobin's station, she heard the woman ask Tobin why she didn't have any tattoo's and Tobin launching into her story. 

"Hey Syd. You doing ok?"

"I am. Had a few customers already. Taking a bathroom break before this one make me have to go in the middle of an application. Again." Sydney rubbed her obviously pregnant belly as she got up and headed towards the employee area in the back of the room.

Ali sighed, turning back towards the store front where her friends and family were. Her distraction method had worked for a bit, but now she was lost in her thoughts again. That is until she see's her brother making a beeline in her direction. 

"Hey BB. I got some great shots of you and the gals talking with just a minute ago! It was profresh as hell. They're gonna look great on the website!" Kyle turned the camera and played back some of the photos he had taken without her noticing while she had been with Tobin and Kelly. He'd even managed to get one with Syd for the half-second she'd been checking in with her. 

"These are great Kyle! I don't know if I've thanked you yet, or enough, but I am really, truly grateful that you are doing this today. I know you're a big-shot photographer and all, so I realize how lucky I am that you're doing the publicity today. I'm going to ask again, but are you sure I can't pay you for this?"

"That's a hard no, sis. I am doing this for you on your big day. And besides, now that my favorite tattoo artist has her own parlor, I'm going to be getting a bunch of ink on the house!" Kyle pranced away with a wink before Ali could dismiss any ideas of him getting tattoo's for free.

She beamed, partially at Kyle's antics, but also at her friend Heather, or HAO, for short, coming towards her. While not a fan of tattoos on herself, HAO and Ali have been close ever since college, and it meant a lot to the brunette that she had come all this way to support Ali. 

Heather greeted her with a hug. "I know I saw you earlier, but I just want to tell you how amazing all this is. It's a really big deal, and I am so proud of you!"

"Aww, thanks HAO! It's been a lot of work, but I'm so excited it's finally up and running! There are so many people here that it's hard to tell who are friends, who are reporters, and who are customers!"

"Oh! That reminds me Ali! There's a woman by the front counter with a bouquet of flowers. She said they were for you. I sent Kyle to come get you, but when I saw him scamper away I figured he'd gotten distracted."

"No problem! Thanks HAO!"

Ali hurriedly moved towards the counter, silently hoping it was a certain blonde who had brought the flowers. It seemed like a long shot, but she couldn't help the eagerness with which she anticipated seeing Ashlyn again, and the coincidence of the blonde owning a flower shop next door and her getting flowers in the middle of her parlor opening when all her most important friends and family were here was too much for Ali.

She was pretty disappointed then when she reached the front and Ashlyn was no where in sight. Instead, there was an intense brunette with an annoyed expression on her face. Ali wasn't sure if she was upset, or if this was somehow her normal face, as Ali approached with a large smile.

"Hey! I'm Ali. Sorry if you had to wait a while. As you can see, there's a lot happening today with the opening and all."

The woman seemed interested for a split second, but seemed to decide against diverting from her task of delivering flowers. She handed the bouquet over, and a clipboard. "Sign here, please."

Ali took a moment to look at the flowers, seeing a lot of yellow, before reaching for a pen and signing the sheet. The other woman handed her a small card and walked away, with Ali trailing a "Thanks!" after her. 

With the woman gone, Ali had time to focus completely on the beautiful arrangement. There were bright yellow roses, and pale calla lilies. There were some interesting yellow bundled flowers, that Ali thought might be an herb. Fennel, maybe? Plus large, green rhubarb leaves, Ivy, and deep green oak leaves rounding out the bouquet. It was gorgeous and intentional.

Ali had never seen anything like it. It looked like someone had individually picked out every piece of greenery, as if they had a hidden meaning she didn't know about. She's lucky she recognized everything in it, and that was partially thanks to her mother's garden. 

After staring amazed at the flowers, she refocused on the card in her hand. Opening it up, she pulled out a small paper with a handwritten note on it. 

_Ali,_

_I hope your day is as amazing and wonderful as you always wanted it to be._

_Congratulations on the opening,_

_Ashlyn_


	4. Not an Update, update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not an updated chapter, just an update on life

Hey all,

For anyone still interested or invested in this work, I want to apologize profusely for the time it’s taken me to update this work. There are no good excuses, though I could give many. 

I’ve welcomed a son, and said goodbye to a wife who chose to leave all within a year and a half. 

My life has been overwhelmed with change. 

And I got a little lost. 

But I’m finding me again, little by little. 

I hope to come back to this work. I was looking at it just this morning, and then someone left kudos and I felt like I owed readers something. 

So there it is. My not-an-update, update. 

Be patient, please.


End file.
